Tiger at the Zoo
by CaskettLuv15
Summary: Kate and Rick need a destraction to help them keep their hands to themselves. So they decide to head on out to the zoo. Kate's emotions come out in a strange way and fears are somewhat conquered and little do they relize, an old friend comes back to greet them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is my very first FanFic. I was recently inspired and wrote this in four hours. I am posting this as M rated, but if you think it should be lowered please let me know. Please review so I can improve my writing. This will have two chapters and I might upload the second tonight. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Ch. 1

A day at the zoo. That's what they need. A day out in public to distract them from the bedroom. She doesn't really want to go, but then again she can stay with Castle longer when they aren't spending all their time all over each other and she wants her relationship with him to not just be about sex, not that she doesn't enjoy that part of it.

"Castle," she moans to him, "hurry up before I drag your ass back in bed and stay there all day."

"Sorry Beckett, but you should have known I wasn't moving anywhere fast once you got out of that shower of yours," he replies back, giving her a sexy smile. She turns around then and glares at him with a smile barely escaping her lips.

Once dressed, they grab their jackets and head out to the zoo.

They're holding hands in line, kissing and nudging each other. They try not to worry about the looks parents are giving them, but it's impossible. "Castle we have to stop before those parents over there rip our heads off for touching." He gives her a look that says _I won't ever stop touching you now. _She sighs feeling defeated. Only their love for each other stops her from releasing his hand.

The reach the front of the line and buy tickets, then walk to the big map to plan the first part of their route. "You know which exhibit we need to see first?" Castle asks. "No,which one?" She asks back. "The elephants!" He says to her excitedly, "The animals we both love." He has that stupid grin on his face, but she can't help but smile back.

They start off down the path arms swinging between them happy to be out in the warm sun of the brisk morning. They stop on the way to see the chimpanzees and other monkeys before coming up on the elephants. Even though it was cool out the elephants were playing in the water. The little babies are wrestling with their trunks and Kate can't help but laugh at them. Castle joins in and soon the whole crowd has begun to laugh.

After watching the elephants for over half an hour, they decide to move on and see what more the zoo has to offer. The next place they stop is the bird exhibits. Rick wants to go into the building and watch them up close, but Kate hesitates. She's never really had any good bird experiences. One time when she was little a pigeon swooped down and took her ice cream cone out of her hand. Another time she was at the beach with her dad and one just happens to poop on her shoulder,ruining her favorite shirt at the time. She tells Castle these stories and he starts laughing uncontrollably at her. She glares, but not with a smile this time. He sees this and stops laughing immediately and she thinks its over. Instead he grabs her wrist and yanks her in after him.

She tries to run back out, but he pulls his arms around her, pinning her body against his. She struggles, but he's too strong for her. Not giving up his hold on her, he leans in to her ear and whispers, "Don't you dare keep struggling or else I'm going to loose it right in front of everyone in here." She stops, but he doesn't let go. He whispers again, "And besides, I'll keep you safe." She sighs at his breathe on her neck and begins to relax against him. He lets go but, wanting to feel safe again, she grabs his arms and pulls them around her waist. He doesn't mind because now he can use this, to get back at her when she teases him.

Every time a bird makes noise or takes flight Kate jumps out of her skin. They're almost through the cage when suddenly a bird lands right in front of them. She stops immediately and Castle, who was only paying attention to the feel of her hips on his hands, bumps into her making them move closer to the bird. She yelps and twists around to the side to get away. The bird doesn't move and Castle moves closer to it.

"Castle!" Kate whisper yells at him, "Don't go any closer to it." Rick rolls his eyes at her and continues to move. He's calm and collected as he gets the bird to perch on his fingers. Kate's breathing on the other hand is short and fast. Castle stands up and turns towards Kate with it. She backs up to the side of the pathway, nowhere to go from there.

"Kate," Castle looks at her with trusting eyes, "Don't make any sudden movements. This little guy won't hurt you."

With a quiver in her voice she simply replies, "Ok," while trying to calm her breathing down from its ragged state.

Castle continues to slowly approach her with the bird and then stops a couple feet away from her. There is now a small audience watching them. They have never seen anyone besides the keepers able to carry one of the birds. They're amazed. Kate can't run and hide, even if she wanted to because now people would see her being a coward. Castle takes his other hand and reaches for Kate's. She looks at him and his look encourages her to let him take hers. He brings her hand up to the bird and the bird looks at it. He stops her hand a few inches away and the bird suddenly chirps at it. Then it moves closer and Rick has to steady Kate's hand to try and stop it from shaking. The bird eyes the hand again and then hops on to it causing Kate to suck in her breathe. The bird hops around for awhile making Kate smile. Meanwhile Castle can't help but feel joy inside of him for helping his girlfriend confront one of her fears, as simple as it may be.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I decided to change the rating down to T. I'm a cautious person, so I waited to see what some of you thought. I hope you enjoy this second half. I will probably end this story here, but if you think I should continue, I might have a few ideas. Please review. 

Ch. 2

They decide it's time to get lunch after they leave the birds. Kate grabs a slice of cheese pizza while Rick has a pepperoni and sausage. They also enjoy a milkshake together as the day grows warmer. Kate finds an open table and sits on the bench. Castle doesn't hesitate, to Kate's liking, and sits across from her to be able to see the sunlight shine through her hair and look at her glowing eyes.

They hold hands above the table, not having to worry about others seeing them being more than just friends.

"You're gorgeous, you know that?" Rick tells her.

"Only because you say it a thousand times a day," Kate can't help but blush and turn her eyes away from him.

He squeezes her hand in affection.

When Kate is done with her pizza she licks her lips clean and Rick can't help but stare. "Sexy," he mutters under his breathe. _I just love it when she does that. It takes my breathe away. _

"Richard. Castle. Don't make me smack you," Kate can't help but say this.

"What did I do?" He just wants to mess with her now.

"You're looking at me like that again" _But he is so hot when he does it. _

"Ohh, you mean like I want to just take your clothes off right now and kiss you all over?"

"Exactly like that. Now stop."

"Fine. I will, but lets go see some more animals or else that's exactly what will happen." That's all he wishes right now. To see her naked body again.

They head off to the part of the zoo with the bears, big cats, and wolves. All the bears are asleep this time of day so they only stay at each exhibit for a few minutes. Same goes for the wolves. They stop to get some lemonade and walk to where all the cats are.

"It's so hot out today," Kate remarks.

"Do you want to leave now and go back to your place?"

"No, let's stay here longer. It's only one in the afternoon."

The first cats they see are the lions. They're just laying out in the grass watching their cubs. The cubs are so cute and Kate can't help but take photos of them. Rick has to pull her away when a group of kids come in and there's no room for them anymore. "Riiiccckk," She moans. "Just a few more minutes? Please?"

Rick replies, "No, we have to let others see them, plus we've been here for... ohh wow...forty minutes Kate."

"Fine. But I better see some more cats playing or I'm dragging you back in here afterwords." She glares at him and then adds an eyebrow raise which makes him start laughing, even though he shouldn't.

"Come on. I know your just dying to see some tigers." This makes them both look at each other while they remember the time they were cuffed together. "And when we get home we can break out those leather cuffs of yours," he adds as an afterthought.

Kate gasps at him. She really shouldn't be thinking about him in cuffs right now. Not with all the families walking around.

When they get to the tigers there's a keeper in the cage training a few of them. Kate looks at the newly placed sign which says the tigers are from a preserve just shut down in the last couple of months. She remembers reading an article in the paper that stated the zoo had to build another section to the exhibit to fit them all. She decides to ask Castle if he remembers it himself.

"Yeah. I remember it. I actually sent in some money to help them out."

"You never told me that."

"We'll we weren't dating at the time so I didn't think it was relevant."

Kate sighs. She remembers that time before they started going out. They didn't need to tell each other everything back then, but now telling each other everything makes them feel closer together.

One of the tigers starts venturing around an happens to stop in front of them. It's on the other side of the glass, but it's still a sight to see. The tiger growls at them and send shivers down Kate and Rick's backs. The tiger starts to pace back and forth in front of the glass, sniffing into the air. Castle looks at Kate who happens to be staring at the tiger. Not even turning to look at him when she knows he's looking at her.

"Is it just me or does that tiger look like it could use a snack," Kate says jaw clenched together.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Rick replies.

The tiger then jumps up. Pitting its front paws on the glass directly in front of them. The other people at the tiger exhibit start coming over to see the animal. Kate and Rick turn to look at each other, knowledge in their eyes. This is the tiger that was with them in the warehouse. They glance back at the sign and sure enough it's the same place that the tiger was sent to.

_It remembers us. _Kate thinks. _But how is that possible? _Kate reaches for Castle's hands wanting to feel comfort. He grabs her hands just as the tiger lets out a ferocious roar. They both jump back, bumping into people. The give each other one final look and race out of there. They don't stop until they're back at the from of the zoo.

"Oh my god Castle. How could this happen?" Kate can barely breathe.

" I. Don't. Know." Rick isn't in as much shape as Beckett happens to be with her cop workouts. "All I care about is leaving this place and taking you home."

"Yeah. I think it's time to go and curl up with some blankets and watch movies."

Castle grabs Kate around the waist and leads them to his car in the parking lot.

This day would forever be etched in their memories.


End file.
